SimHQ.com - Motorsports Zone - Driving iRacing: A Fast Lap at Lime Rock Park

It is all too easy to go in too fast only to find that the car seeks the outer boundaries of the track like a giant magnet and will go bury itself in the tire walls off the track. End of race, or end of lap.

Take it easy on the first lap or two and make sure you have warmed the tires and found your rhythm. In fact, take all the time you want to familiarize yourself with the car before starting to push the envelope.

Coming down the straight on a quick lap you brake somewhere half-way between the 3 and the 2 markers, leave it as late as you can while still being in full control of your vehicle, then go from 5th gear to 3rd, 5th gear seems too tall so I never use it around this course except here. Get progressively off the brakes while turning the steering wheel slightly as you try to guide the car into a gentle drift aiming for the inner kerbing. If you’re not smooth you’ll feel the rear of the car snap away. Let the car settle, not braking nor accelerating while making sure you’re on the proper line and not in danger of losing traction on the rear tires before coming back on the throttle gently, to maximize your speed as early as possible exiting T1R which is the entry to T2R.

I wonder what the people at the Lodge are thinking...

T1R Race Notes: The braking zone is an obvious passing opportunity so if you can carry more speed down the straight than your opponent, get about half-way alongside him on the inside and brake safely while still giving your opponent the room on the outside that he or she needs, and you will have planned and executed a great pass.

Also be prepared for T1 mayhem, as some drivers still seem to firmly believe that the race is won in T1.

If you're not at least half-way alongside as you attempt the pass, there is the risk of your opponent not being aware of your presence, or simply closing the door on you thinking you'll stay behind, a crash being the result.

T2R: Apply the throttle gently and progressively as you aim for the apex of Turn 2; the inside kerbing, and you should feel the car being very light and on the limit continuing the gentle drift you set up going into T1R, helping you make the turn as you accelerate. You are still in 3rd gear and will stay in 3rd until half-way along No Name straight.

T3L: The tricky Turn 3 I call it, because it is very tempting to go in too deep, too hard and then staying on the brakes for too long and too hard before turning the wheel to the left. This means you’ll just push off — understeering off the track. In reality you need to decelerate gently with the brakes to transfer the weight to the front of the car before entering the turn, getting off the brakes as you turn in and if you can, setting up a slightly sliding motion at turn-in. If you achieve that you are getting close to perfect. Make for a slightly late apex as you feed in the throttle as this will actually help you to cure the understeer. The car will go more towards neutral and even slightly oversteer, tightening the line into the apex. Make absolutely sure that you’re as far to the left on the track as possible exiting this turn, since this is where you want your car to be positioned in preparation for the next turn, and the following straights that I talked about earlier; the straights that are connected by the fast turns.

T3L Race Notes: To pass anyone here you’ll probably need full awareness of and cooperation from the other driver and it still is a risky prospect.

T4R: Still in 3rd gear through this section which you should try to straight-line as much as you possibly can, accelerating hard but being very precise in your line and steering input as there is a danger of hitting either the inside kerbing or pushing wide exiting the turn. In either case there’s trouble ahead. Also be ready to counter for any tendencies in the chassis to roll excessively and making you spin out.

T4R Race Notes: With a bit of cooperation you can pass from the exit and onwards, provided you and the other driver are prepared to abandon the ideal line through the kinks and instead race side by side on No Name Straight.

If you are being challenged by a faster driver, consider letting him by as you do not want to block. Near the very end of the race you might want to drive more defensively, protecting your position. Tracking his movements in the mirrors will take away much needed attention where you’re going and if you have to drive with a faster driver on your heels he and you will lose valuable time fighting each other.

No Name Straight

No Name Straight: For starters, it isn’t really straight, but the kinks are of such a nature that you’ll drive the section as a straight accelerating up to the cut-off point at the entry to the uphill right hand bend.

About half way down the straight, select 4th gear and prepare yourself for the excitement of the next, very fast right hander.

No Name Straight Race Notes: With a bit of respect from both drivers it is possible to pass on the inside going into T5R if you leave the driver on the outside plenty of room to make the turn as well.

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